Tightening device.



G. T. GUNNIUS.

TIGHTENING DEVICE.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 26, 1909.

INVENTOR Patented June 14, 1910.

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CALVIN THEO CUNNIUS, or LONG BRANCH, NEW JERSEY.

TIGHTENING DEVICE.

Application filed. January 26, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CALVIN T. CUNNIUs, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Long Branch, in the county of Monmouth and State ofNew Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Tightening Device, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to implements for tightening bands or wires aroundsectional columns, bales and the like, and its object is to provide anew and improved tightening device arranged to permit of convenientlyand powerfully drawing the band or wire tight without much physicalexertion on the part of the operator, and to allow of securelyinterlocking the ends of the wire or band after the band is drawn tightto the desired degree. To attain this object, use is made of a pair oflevers having clamps at one end for engagement with the ends of thewire, and a screw rod engaging nuts on the other ends of the levers forimparting a swinging motion to the levers.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvement as applied fortightening a wire around a sectional column; Fig. 2 is a cross sectionof the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of oneof the clamps; Fig. A is a sectional plan view of the same; and Fig. 5is a perspective view of the ends of the wire interlocked with eachother.

On a suitably constructed support or frame A, are fulcrumed at B, B thebell crank levers G, C arranged in opposite directions and carrying attheir lower ends clamps D, D for engagement with the terminals E, E ofthe wire or band to be drawn tight around a column F or other article,the ends of the wire crossing each other, as plainly shown in Figs. 1and 2. In the upper ends of the bell crank levers O, O, are journaledthe trunnions G G of nuts G, G, in which screw the right and left handthreads of a screw rod H, provided at one end with a crank arm I forturning the screw rod H with a view of imparting'a simultaneous swingingmotion to the bell crank levers C and O. The screw rod H is provided ator near its middle with a collar Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 14., 1910.

Serial No. 474,264.

J, mounted to slide up and down in a vertical guideway A, formed on thesupport or frame A, thus holding the screw rod H against axial movementrelative to the support or frame A. Now when the screw rod H is turnedin one direction, the nuts G, G are moved simultaneously toward eachother, thus imparting a swinging motion to the bell crank levers C, C inthe direction of the arrows a, a whereby the clamps D, D are carriedupward and in so doing carry the terminals E, E of the wire or bandalong, thereby drawing the wire tight around the column F or otherarticle.

In the lower end of the support or frame A are ournaled the wheels Kunder which pass the crossed wire ends to the clamps D, D, thus holdingthe wire at the crossing of the ends close to the face of the column For other article, as will be readily understood by reference to Figs. 1and 2. After the wire has been drawn tight, the operator gives a halfturn to the tightening device to form the ends E, E of the wire intoloops E", E (see Fig. 5), after which the clamps D, D are opened torelease the wire terminals. The loops E E are preferably closed by theuse of links L placed on the wire ends E, E previous to connecting theends with the clamps D, D and drawing the wire tight, as abovedescribed.

Each of the clamps D, D is preferably of the construction shown indetail in Figs. 3 and 4:, that is, on the corresponding lever C or G isformed an ofiset G in which is bolted an eccentric stud D for a handledclamping arm D to swing on, the pivotal end D of the said arm D beingeccentric and provided on its peripheral face with teeth for firmlygripping the wire end E or E and pressing the same against foot or jaw Cformed on the corresponding lever C or C. By adjusting the eccentricstud D on the offset G the clamping arm D can be readily set forclamping wire ends of various thicknesses.

The tightening implement shown and described is very simple and durablein construction, can be easily applied and manipulated and readily movedabout.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. A tightening device, comprising a support, levers fulcrumed on thesaid support, clamps on one end of the said levers, nuts journaled onthe other ends of the said journaled 011 the said support for holdingthe wire in close contact with the object around which it is passed andguiding the ends of the wire to the said clamps.

3. A tightening device, comprising a support, levers fulcrumed on thesaid support, clamps on one end of the said levers for clamping thecrossed ends of a wire, nuts journaled on the other ends of the saidlevers, and a right and left hand screw rod screwing in the said nuts,and provided with a collar straddling the said support and mounted toslide thereon.

4. A tightening device, comprising a support, having a guideway, a wheelj ournaled on the said support for engagement by the wire, bell cranklevers j ournaled on the said support, clamps held on one end of thesaid levers, nuts journaled on the other ends of the said levers, and aright and left screw rod screwing in the said nuts and provided with acollar held to slide in the guideway of the said support.

5. A wire tightening device, comprising a support, bell crank leversfulcrumed at the junction of their members on independent pivots atopposite sides of the support, clamps on the shorter members of thelevers for engaging the crossed ends of the wire,

means engaging the longer members of thelevers for drawing them togetherand moving the shorter members apart, and means on the support forengaging the wire at the crossing of its ends to hold it in closecontact with the object around which it is passed.

6. A wire tightening device provided with a lever having a jaw and anoffset, an eccentric stud adjustably secured to the offset-of the lever,and a clamping arm eccentrically mounted on the said stud for clamping awire on the jaw of the lever.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CALVIN THEO CUNNIUS.

Witnesses:

NELLIE M. BRAY, RALPH L. BRAY.

